"A new challenge, and that’s exciting" - Tadej Pogacar begins Tour de France build-up with first stage race of 2026 at Tour de Romandie
Cycling
Tadej Pogacar will begin the next phase of his 2026 season at the Tour de Romandie, with UAE Team Emirates - XRG confirming the world champion’s debut at the Swiss stage race as his first multi-day test of the year.
After a dominant spring built on victories at Strade Bianche, Milano-Sanremo and the Tour of Flanders, alongside second place at Paris-Roubaix, the Slovenian now shifts focus from one-day racing to stage racing as his Tour de France build-up begins. Romandie marks that transition point, offering the first indication of how his form translates over multiple days.
For Pogacar, the appeal lies in the newness of the challenge. “I’m looking forward to Tour de Romandie. It’s a new race for me, a new challenge, and that’s exciting,” he said in conversation with the team press office.
“It will be my first stage race of the year too, so it’s a nice addition to the calendar," added the world champion. "I’ve heard it’s a beautiful region to ride a bike in.”
UAE turn to Pogacar to lead Romandie defence
UAE Team Emirates - XRG arrive in Switzerland as defending champions after João Almeida’s overall victory last season, with Adam Yates also having previously delivered success in the race. Pogacar now steps in to lead those ambitions, adding his own presence to a race where the team have consistently shaped the general classification.
The support group reflects a clear stage race structure. Pavel Sivakov and Domen Novak provide the climbing backbone, while Felix Grossschartner adds further depth in the mountains. Vegard Stake Laengen and Ivo Oliveira offer control across flatter terrain, with Kevin Vermaerke completing a balanced lineup built to support a general classification campaign.
For Pogacar, the objective is less about immediate statements and more about progression. His spring has already established him as the dominant one-day rider of the season, but Romandie represents the first step back into the rhythm and demands of stage racing.
That shift, from explosive one-day efforts to sustained performance across a week, is where the next phase of his season begins.
UAE Team Emirates-XRG lineup – Tour de Romandie 2026
| Rider |
| Tadej Pogacar |
| Felix Grossschartner |
| Pavel Sivakov |
| Domen Novak |
| Vegard Stake Laengen |
| Ivo Oliveira |
| Kevin Vermaerke |
Kieran WoodDeputy Editor-in-Chief
Kieran Wood is a sports journalist based in Wales and has been active in journalism since 2022. He regularly contributes to DartsNews.com and CyclingUpToDate.com, where he covers professional cycling and darts. In cycling, his work includes liveblogs from major races, including the Tour de France, the Giro d’Italia, and La Vuelta a España, alongside race reports and analysis. He has also conducted interviews with professional riders.
His reporting spans the full racing calendar, from one-day classics to stage races, with a focus on accurate, real-time coverage and clear contextual analysis. For statistics, results, and historical context, he regularly uses resources such as ProCyclingStats. To support reporting on rider activity and training context where relevant, he also references Strava.
In his work, Kieran places strong emphasis on careful sourcing, editorial accuracy, and updating articles as new, verified information becomes available.
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- It's going to happen at some point. It will happen to Tadej as well, we all get older. Jonas was in pretty great form at the tour. I still consider him a top two or three cyclist in the world, until he's not.awp15-11-2026
- mij, I am not so sure of that. I have been on a spine ward at a Denver hospital that had quite a few spinal injuries from mountain biking.BDBigGuy15-11-2026
- Pogi takes care of his teammates in races and training. Tadej Pogačar is widely praised within the cycling peloton for his fair and egalitarian leadership, actively supporting his UAE teammates both on the road during races and behind the scenes at training camps. Rather than acting like an untouchable superstar, he has intense team loyalty by sharing daily chores, giving up personal glory to help domestiques, and publicly praising their sacrifices. Unlike some Grand Tour contenders, like Vingegaard, who occasionally train away from their squads, Pogi consistently attends team training camps alongside his domestiques, making the exact same sacrifices to build friendship. I love how Pogačar shares his teammates-domestiques, either when they succeed or win in races or when they simply just do a good job for him. It has to be a great moral boost for them. And then they work even harder and go even deeper for Pogi. This is teamwork.PogiSloFans15-11-2026
- Yeah, what he said!Lozza15-11-2026
- I’m sure Jasper Philipsen would disagree with you.Lozza15-11-2026
- Article says he was “out for a spin around the town”, implying not off-road.Lozza15-11-2026
- let’s be honest, Alpecin is all about one rider - MVDP. I’m sure he gets whatever he needs, the rest get the scraps.mij15-11-2026
- there are more vicious injuries on a road bike than a mountain bike far and away.mij15-11-2026
- That'll be one crazy rider
Rafionain-Glas15-11-2026 - Many Europeans say that Austria, Switzerland and Slovenia are one of the most beautiful countries in Europe known for their stunning landscapes because of the Alp mountains, green forests, clean rivers and lakes and national parks.PogiSloFans15-11-2026
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